Apparatus for stretching and coiling belts.



W. H. BRADSHAW.

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING AND COILING BELTS.

APPLICATION FILED we. 1. 1911.

1,258,649. Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Qwvewtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BRADSHAW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 \VILLIAMTHOMPSON PLUMMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING AND COILING BELTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Mar. 12, 1918.

Original application filed May 4, 1917, Serial No. 166,317. Divided andthis application filed August 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM HENRY Bnnnsnxw, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching and Coiling Belts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for stretching and coiling beltspreferably during the process of manufacture or prior to their actualcommercial use, and the present application is a division of myco-pending application, Serial Number 166,317, filed May 4, 1917.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple andpractical apparatus designed to treat belts or belting during the courseof manufacture or before delivery for use in a manner permanently totake out the stretch or distensibility inherent therein. A. furtherobject is to provide an apparatus of the above general character adaptedto operate upon the material of which the belt is made in order toproduce a better iinished article, as well as to eliminate stretching ofthe belt when in actual use. 1. further object is to provide an easilyand conveniently operated apparatus of the above general character whichwill be reliable and efficient in use and operation and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture and install.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in. connection therewith by the following analysis ofthis invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members andin'the relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as morecompletely outlined herein.

' To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they can embody the same in thenumerous modifications in structure and Serial No. 184,003.

relation contemplated b this invention, drawings depicting a pre erredform of apparatus have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, inwhich is shown senii-diagram matically a side elevation thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1, 2 and 3 denote three sets orpairs of stretching and ealendering rollers. It is, of course, to beunderstood that more or less sets may be employed, as desired, six setsbeing preferred. The belt 4 passes over and between these rolls, asindicated and the several rolls are connected by means of powertransmitting mechanism of any desired type, such as chains and sprocketsin a manner to produce a progressively increasing peripheral speed ofeach set with respect to the previous set. This progression need not beconstant or uniform. Thus, for example, the first set is provided with asprocket 5 and chain 6 connected with a sprocket 7 upon the second set.This shaft upon which.

the sprocket 7 is mounted is provided with a slightly larger sprocket 8which is connected by means of chain 9 with a sprocket 10 associatedwith the third set. The same is true of the lower rolls of each set.Both rolls of the first set may be driven directly from a shaft 11provided with bevel gearing 1:? or the like, adjacent the set. Urearing13 communicates power thereto from a main power shaft 14. A primarysource of power indicated by the belt and pulley 15 is intended torotate the shaft 14.

It will thus be seen that as the shaft l t rotates power will betransmitted through the shaft 11 to both rollers of the first set. Thispower is further transmitted through chains 6 to the rollers of thesecond setand thence through chains 9 to the rollers of the third set,and so on if more sets are em pl'oyed. The second set is rotated tocause a slightly higher rate of peripheral speed than the first whilethe third set is designed to rotate at a slightly higher peripheralspeed than the second set. This produces a continuous stretching of thebelt at the points 16 and 17 where it passes from one set to anotherprior to its passage to the reeling or coiling mechanism shown at theright of the drawing.

While the rollers of the sets, as shown, are of the same size and thesprockets of ditferent size, it is clear that the rollers may be ofincreasing size and the sprockets of the same size to produce the samedesired result of increasing peripheral speed.

The-reeling or coiling mechanism for the beltwhich should be immediatelyadjacent the stretching mechanism comprises rollers 20 and 21 connectedby means of chain and sprocket mechanism 22"?23 driven from a secondaryshaft 24 connected by means of bevel gearing, or the like, 25,130 themain power shaft 14. The coiled belt is indicated at 26 and is held downwith a high degree of pressure upon the roll 21 by means of a presserroll 27 guided as by a frame 28 of any desired type which also holds asolid core 29 for the belt roll 26. The guide slot for the core 29 isslightly inclined whereby when the roll is completed its center is morenearly over the axis of the roll 21. This construction permits thefinished roll to be removed with the least trouble for it is unnecessaryto lift its full weight from between the rolls 20-and 21 as would be thecase if the guide slot were vertically disposed. The

rollers 20 and 21 are slightly different in diameter and thus theperiphery of the roller 21 travels at a slightly greater speed than theperiphery of the roller 20, thereby tending to push the coil aheadfaster than the belt is fed by the roll 20, thus maintaining the belt inits stretched condition and coiling it very tightly in that stretchedcondition. The roller 20 is preferably driven at'a slightly greaterperipheral speed than the roller 3 in order to produce a stretching ofthe belt adjacent the point 30, thus preventing recovery and maintainingthe resultant tension.

If desired, the rollers may be of the same size and driven bydifferential gearing although the structure shown isfp-referred. Thesemechanisms above described merely illustrate semi dia-grammatically oneof a number of different forms of apparatus adapted to carry out theprocess herein c escribed and while shown semi-diagrammatically, itisbelieved that any skilled mechanic would have no difiiculty whatsoeverin constructing a commercially operative device in view of thedisclosure herein.

It may have been attempted to stretch belts by the mechanism shownat theleft of the .drawing and it also may have been attempted to coil beltsby a mechanism somevihat similar to that shown at the right,'but

it isbelieved that the combination of parts herein shown'has neverbefore been disclosed and that due to a peculiar coaction andinter-relat1on of these mechanisms a much better belt is obtained andinless time, in that is then startedanddue to the peculiarcoaction andinterrelation of the two groups of elements and the manner of connecting.one with the other, whereby each rolleror set of rollers has a greaterperipheral speed than 'the previous roller or set in engagement, thereis accomplished a pulling of the belt at all times whereby it isstretched and wound up very tightly.

By way of example, it may be noted that when the ,plies of canvas aresewed together to make a fabric belt, there is produced a very strongand firm article. A pull of many thousand pounds is required in order tostretch a twenty inch ten-ply belt. This stretching cannot besuccessfully accomplished in acoilingrdevice used by itself nor could itbe successfully or practically acconr plished by a belt stretchingdevice alone such as shown at the leftof the drawings, for example. Ifit is attempted to stretch the belt in a coilingdevice alone the coilcould not be pressed downwardly upon the roll 21 with sufiicientpressure to put the required tension in the belt for the rollers wouldsimply spin around against the face of the belt and shortly wear holestherein. With the calendering rollers or belt stretching deviceshown atthe left of the drawings, this desired degree of tension is very easilyexerted upon the ibelt because the belt is wrapped around.

the instant it leaves the calender rollers, it

tends to recover itself. or shorten. When the-belt is passed through theset of calender rollers arrangedto run at different speeds,

such as above set forth tostretch-the belt, it

is then much easier to maintain this stretch, or if it partiallyrecovers, again to pull the belt to its stretched length than it wouldbe if the belt had not been passed through the calender rollers. Theresult is that although the belt cannot be permanently stretched byeither a coiling machine alone or a set of calender rollers alone, thestretch can be permanently removed by first passing the bolt through aset of calender rolls and immediately coiling it in its stretchedcondition as described above.

It is impracticable to build an ordinary coiling machine which appliesits power to the core with sufficient strength to coil a twenty inchten-ply belt when the coil approaches its maximum diameter, for thereason that the power is applied to the center of the coil and thestrain is applied to the circumference, but by using the ceiling machinesuch as herein set forth, it is possible to maintain sufiicient tensionon the belt to prevent the belt previously stretched in a set ofcalender rollers from recovering on itself and therefore coil it in astretched condition. After the belt has stood for a week or two coiledin this stretched condition it sets in such condition and the stretch ispermanently eliminated.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a simple andpractical apparatus of the above general character adapted toaccomplish, among others, all of the objects and advantages herein setforth in a reliable, efficient and inexpensive manner.

\Vithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gistof this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readilyadapt it for various applications without omitting certain featuresthat, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention,and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, astretching device and a coiling device arranged in series and means foroperating the coiling device at a peripheral speed of not less than thatof the stretching device.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, aplurality of pairs of stretching rollers, a coiling device in seriestherewith and means for operating the coiling device at a peripheralspeed of not less than that of the stretching device.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, astretching device and a coiling device arranged in series oneimmediately following the other, the coiling device being constructedand arranged to coil the belt while maintaining'the resulting tensionfrom the action of the first device.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, aplurality of pairs of stretching rollers each of which rotates at ahigher peripheral speed than the pair before and a coiling device inseries therewith, said coiling device including a roller operating uponthe belt driven at a peripheral speed of not less than that of thestretching roller immediately therebefore.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, aplurality of pairs of stretching rollers each of which rotates at ahigher peripheral speed than the pair before and a ceiling devicecomprising means adapted to exert a continued tension and coiling actionon said belt as it is fed from said stretching rollers.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, astretching device and a coiling device arranged in series, each of saiddevices comprising roller means arranged to exert a pulling andstretching action on the belt, the roller means of the coiling devicebeing arranged to move at a higher rate of peripheral speed than that ofthe stretching device.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, astretching device and a coiling device arranged in series, both of saiddevices comprising a plurality of rollers, and means for drivingsuccessive rollers at progressively increasing peripheral speeds as thebelt is fed thereover, whereby a continuous pulling action results.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, astretching device and a coiling device arranged in series, both of saiddevices comprising a plurality of rollers, a source of power connectedwith both devices, and differential gearing whereby each roller isdriven at a higher peripheral speed than the preceding one.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, astretching device and a ceiling device arranged in series, both of saiddevices comprising a plurality of rollers, a source of power connectedwith both devices, differential gearing whereby each roller is driven ata higher peripheral speed than the preceding one, and means for pressingthe coiling belt into engagement with the last roller.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, astretching device and a ceiling device arranged in series, each devicecomprising a plurality of rollers, the rollers of one of said devicesbeing of the same size and driven at different peripheral speeds bymeans of differential gears.

1 1. In an apparatus of t-he character described, in combination,avstretching device and;a;coiling devicearranged in series, each devicecomprising a plurality of rollers, the rollers of one device being ofdifferent size and driven bygears of the same size.

.12. Inan apparatusof the character described, in combination, astretchingdevice, and-a coiling device arranged in series, said coilingdevice including a pair of driven rollers adapted to support the coiledbelt the b wee 1 3. In an apparatus of the character described, incombination, a stretching device,

I and a coiling-device arranged in series, said coiling device includinga pair of driven rollers adapted to support the coiled :belttherebetween, said supporting rollers being driven at diflierentperipheral speeds.

14:. In an apparatus of the character d escribed n combination, astretching device and a coillng devlce arranged inseries, sa d v coilingdevice including a pair of driven rollers adapted toesupport the coiledbelt therebetween,,amandrel upon which the belt 1-; is coiled, and aninclined guide for said 991 of this patent may be obtained 101-fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner ,of Patents,

Washington, D. C. a

